William mason



(No Model.)

W. MASON.

BREEUH LOADING FIRE ARM.

No. 247,875. Patented Sept. 20,1881.

' rel, so that as the barrels are tilted the rock- UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

WILLIAM MASON', OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TOTHE COLTS PATENTFIRE-ARMS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BREECH LOADlNG FIRE-ARM;

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent No. 247,375, datedSeptember 20, 1881.

Application filed May 21, 1881.

- in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms; and I do here'- bydeclare the following,when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the lettersof referencemarked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same,

and which said drawings constitute-part of this specification, andrepresent, in

Figure 1, a sectional side view, showingthe parts in their normalcondition; Fig. 2, same,

showing the hammer as cocked Fig. 3, de= tachedview.

This invention relates to an improvementin thatclass of arms in whichthe barrel or barrels are hung forward, and so that the breech end==tips up to open the cartridge chamber, and known as barrel tilting up atthe breech, and with special reference to whatarek'nown as concealedhammersthat isto say, the hammer arranged within the receiver of the armand cocked in the act of tiltin g the barrels.

The invention consists in a rock-shaft arranged beneath thebarrels,transversely-thereto, and substantially the axis upon which thebarrels turn, and in connection with the barshaft will turn upon itsaxis, combined with a lever pivoted between the hammer and shaft, onearm of the lever in connection with the rock-shaft forward of its pivot,so that raising the breech end of the barrels depresses the for ward armof the lever, the other arm of the lever in connection with the hammerforward of its pivot, so that as the'breech end of the barrel is raisedthe hammer is turned to fullcock, as more fully hereinafter described.

A represents the frame of the receiver, extending forward beneath thebarrels B, as at C, the forward end rounded to receive the forearm D, insubstantially the usual manner. In a recess in the receiver the hammer Eis hung upona pivot, a,the upper end'or nose arranged to strike afiring-pin, b or it may be constructed with a projection which will passthrough an opening in'the breech end of the receiver to strike theprimer.

F is a transverse rock-shaft arranged at the (No model.)

forward-end of the receiver, beneath the barrel, and-forming,substantially, the axis'on which the barrels turn in tilting. Onthe'said rock-shaft a cam-like projection, f, is formed upon the upperside. and a similar cam-projection, 71, below, and on the under side ofthe barrel a projecting'lug, l, is formed to hook over the rock-shaft,its'frontsurface engaging vthe cams fh, as-shown, so that when thebarrels are tilted thesurface of thelug above the pivot bearsagainstthe' cam fand turns the rock-shaft forward; then, in returningthe barrels, the surface'of the lug on the other side bears upon the'camh and turns the rock-shaft in the opposite direction. Between therocksh'aftand the hammer a lever is hung upon a pivot,n, one arm, H,extendingforward through an opening, m, in the rock-shaft, so as to takea bearing in the opening or cavity forward of the center of therock-shaft; The other arm extends rearward, terminating in the shape ofTa stirrup. 1', (see Fig. 3,) to engage beneath the arm P, which extendsforward from the hammer, and so that the engagement of that arm L of thelever will beforward'of the pivot of the hammer.

The mainspriirg t is' of the usual V shape, one end, d, resting againstthe under side of the arm L of the lever, near the hammer, the otherend, 0, hung to the arm P of the hammer. Preferably the opposite ordoubled end, 8, is seated in a bearing on the under side of the lever,near its pivot. I

The operation of this arrangement is as follows: When the barrels aretilted the rockshaft turns as first described, and because the bearingof the arm H is forward of the center of the shaft it depresses that armand raises the arm L, which lifts upon the arm P of the hammer, turningthe hammer to full-cock, as seen in Fig. 2. In this movement of thelever it will be observed that the bearing-point d of the mainspring israised with the lever, but to a less extent than is the end 0 of thespring, which is in connectionwith the hammer; hence the spring has beencompressed only to the extent that the end 6 has been raised. When thebarrels are returned to their closed position the lever returns also toits normal position, as seen in Fig. 2, broken lines. In this movementthe arm 01 of the spring -will be forced toward 'the other arm, thuscompleting the application of the full force of the spring tothe'hammerfor its blow when released. This arrangement of the lever and springdistributes the power of cooking the hammer over both the opening andclosing movements.

Instead of'seating the doubled end of the spring in the lever, as at s,the other end, 11, may be engaged with the lever so as to retain itsplace Without connection at the doubled vend; or instead of applying themainspring' between the lever and the hammer, the mainspring may beapplied directly to the hammer independent of the lever.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, while speciallyintended for doublebarreled arms, this invention may be applied tosingle-barrel arms.

In another application for patent, filed May 12, 1881, I have shown therock-shaft arranged in the same manner as in this application, but witha different intermediate mechanism.

I therefore do not in this application make broad claim to thetransverse rock-shaft rotated by the opening and closing movementsofthebarrel to cock'tlie hammer; but

What I do claim is- 1. In fire-arms inwhich the breech is opened by thebarrel tilting up at the breech,the combination therewith of atransverse rock-shaft arranged substantially at the axis upon which thebarrel turns, an extension from the barrels into connection with saidrock-shaft, so that as th e barrels are tilted said shaft will beturned, and a hammer hung at the rear, with a lever be tween saidrock-shaft and hammer, one arm of which engages with said rock-shaftforward of its center, the other arm of said lever engaging with thehammer forward of its pivot, whereby the rotation of said rock-shaft inthe act of tilting the barrels turns the rock-shaft and cocks thehammer, substantially as described.

2. In fire-arms in which the breech is opened act of tilting the barrelsturns the rock-shaft and cocks the hammer, and a mainspring one end ofwhich bears upon the arm of thelever near the hammer, the other end ofthe spring engaging the hammer forward of its pivot, substantially asdescribed.

3. In fire-arms in which the breech is'opened by the barrel tilting upat the breech, the combination therewith ot' a transverse rock-shaftarranged substantially at the axis upon which the barrel turns, anextension from the barrels into connection with said rock-shaft, so'that as the barrels areitilted said shaft will be turned,

a hammer hung at the rear, with a lever between said rock-shaft andhammer, one arm of which engages with said rock-shaft'forward of itscenter, the other arm of said lever engaging with the hammer forward ofits pivot, whereby the rotation of said rock-shaftinthe act of tiltingthe barrels turns the rock-shaft and cooks the hammer, and amainspring'one end of which bears upon the arm of the lever near thehammer,'the other end of the spring engaging the hammer forward of itspivot, the doubled end of the spring seated on the lever near its pivot,substantially as described.-

' WILLIAM MASON.

Witnesses:

E. F. BoDwELL, SAM. WALKER.

